1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to personnel restraints and, more particularly, to personnel restraints especially adapted for restraining a person in a chair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When small children sit in high chairs, they often have a tendency to slip off of the seat portion of the high chair. Of course, such an occurrence can be hazardous to the child and frightening to a provider of child care, be it a parent, a baby sitter, or a person at a child day care center, hospital, or anywhere small children are cared for.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to restraining children in high chairs, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,849; 5,141,286; and 5,232,267. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,849 discloses a child's high chair restraining device which employs leg straps that connect directly to a child's thighs. Such a device may impede the child's leg movement which in the high chair. In this respect, it would be desirable if a high chair child restraint device were provided which does not impede a child's leg movement when the child is seated in the high chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,286 discloses a high chair baby seat which employs a wooden dowel that is placed under a child's legs as the child is seated in the high chair. This device also can impede leg motion of the child that is seated in the high chair. Moreover, over time, the wooden dow may splinter and require maintenance or replacement to continue its safe use. In this respect, it would be desirable if a high chair child restraint device were provided which does not employ wood.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,267 discloses high chair safety pants which have hook or loop material which attaches to complementary loop or hook material that is attached to the top surface of the seat of the high chair. To remove a child from a high chair with which this device is employed may require a three-handed operation. That is, more than two people may need to be available. One person may need to use two hands to firmly grasp the child. A second person may need to pull on the pants to separate the hook or loop material of pants from the complementary loop or hook material on the seat. If a second person is not employed, the child may be pulled out of the pants with the pants being left attached to the seat of the high chair. In this respect, it would be desirable if a high chair child restraint device were provided which enables a child to be removed from the seat of the high chair with a two-handed operation.
In addition, the following U.S. patents may be of interest for their disclosure of additional innovations relating to high chairs: U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,123, and Des. 315,993.
Children in high chairs are not the only persons that sometimes should be restrained in chair seats. For example, sometimes adult patients suffer from debilitating injuries or incapacities and should be restrained in a chair seat. Reasons for restraining an adult person in a chair seat include maintaining good posture, preventing the person from tilting forward, preventing the person from tilting from side to side, and preventing the person from slipping off of the seat of the chair.
Still other features would be desirable in a garment-type personnel restraint apparatus. Aside from restraining a person in a seat, it may be desirable for a restraint device to protect a person's chest area from food or other soiling material. In other words, it would be desirable if a personnel restraint device were provided an apron-like portion for protecting a person's chest from soiling materials.
For maintaining good posture, for preventing a person from tilting forward while seated in a chair, and for preventing the person from tilting from side to side while seated in the chair, it would be desirable if a personnel restraint device had a portion for connecting the person's torso to the vertically oriented back of the chair.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use personnel restraints with chairs, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a garment-type personnel restraint apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not impede a child's leg movement when the child is seated in a high chair; (2) does not employ wood; (3) enables a child to be removed from the seat of a high chair with a two-handed operation; (4) provides an apron-like portion for protecting a person's chest from materials that soil clothing; and (5) has a portion for connecting the person's torso to the vertically oriented back of a chair. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique garment-type personnel restraint apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.